Parachute container



Dec, 30, 924.

PARACHUTE CONTAINER Fild May 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Shee kw w\ Dec. 30, 1924. 152mm F. L. MORGAN ET AL PARACHUTE CONTAINER Filed May s, 1923 2 shets-sheet 1 Snom/1)( oz @Houma Patented Dec. 3ft, M24.

lthllt antena FRANCIS L. MORGAN' AND ARTHUR. CLAIRE DEWEY, OIF WASHINGTON, XOWA.

PARACHUTE CONTANER..

Application led. May 8, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, FRANCIS L; MORGAN and ARTHUR CLAIRE DEWEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Washington, in the county of Washington and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Parachute Containers, of which the following is a specification.

At times aeroplanes drop, resulting from various causes, as, for instance, the engine going dead or due to the aeroplane traveling through a vacuum pocket.

It is, therefore, the purpose of the present invention to provide an improved safety appliance to be located on any part of the machine, preferably on the upper surface of the top plane, and to be manipulated by the operator, in case of accident, so as to" release a plurality of parachutes, which act, when released, to allow the aeroplane to descend gradually.

Another purpose is to provide a safety appliance to avoid the foregoing catastrophe including a receptacle wherein a plurality of parachutes is carried Vin nested formation, there being a passage formed through the receptacle or container, to permit of the'passage of aii` therethrough in order to discharge and open the paraohutes when released. Still another' purpose is the provision of the closures for the opposite ends of the container including -means to be actuated by the operator for opening the closures to permit of the discharge and opening of the parachutes, due to thed passage of air through the space in the container.

A further purpose is the provision. of means, such as a rope or a cable, or the like,

.for anchoring the series of parachutes to the aeroplane, said rope, cable or the like being wound around a reel which is provided with suitable means to prevent the rope from unreeling too rapidly.

A still further purpose is the provision of means for so mounting the container as to permit the same to change its position and allow the rope to unreel, in case the aeroplane makes a tail spin.

The invention comprises a structure, which. at present, is deemed preferable. However, the invention is not to be limited or restricted to the details shown. ln practice various changes and alterations may be necessary, consequently the right to such changes and alterations that may be required as a result of reduction to practice Serial No. 637,570.

is claimed, provided they fall within the limits of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of an aeroplane, showing a plurality of parachutes released andacting to support the machine in its descent;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of a part ofthe body or fuselagel of an aeroplane, showing the safety appliance as applied;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the container for the parachutes, on line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the air passage, in order to illustrate the tapering contour thereof;

Fig. Ll is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the container.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the body of the aeroplane and 2 the cock pit, ,and 3 the struts for the support of the top plane 4c.

Supported upon the plane 4. is a container 5 constructed of any suitable material, preferably aluminum or the like, and whichv may be any suitable shape. Axially aligned pivots 6 connect the container to the upper forward edge of the top plane. Vlhese pivots are so located as to permit the container to reverse its position automatically, in case the aeroplane makes a tail spin in the act of falling, so as to permit of the discharge and opening of the parachutes. To assistin causing the container to reverse its position a suitable lin 7 is connected to and carried by the container. ln case of a tail spin the air will Contact with the iin and cause the container to tilt to a position just the reverse to that shown in Fig. 2.

The container is provided with interior walls 8, so constructed and arranged as to cause a passage 9 to be formed. 'lhe wall of this passage is integrally connected to an end wall 10 of the container. A flanged opening ll is formed in the wall 10, and hinged in any suitable manner as at l2 is a closure 13, which acts to close the passage 9. The pivot l2 preferably consists of a transverse rod having an arm la at one end and an actuating crank arm l5 at the opposite end.

rlhe opposite end of the container is open,

Vupon a rocking rod 17. Or

or rope is attached to the crank arm 15, and has its other end terminating in a position close to the operator. In fact the other end may be connected to the side of -the cock it.

The wa 8 which causes the air passage i 9 to be formed supports a plurality of parachutes 21, which are nested upon the exterior of the wall 8 and interconnected by ro es or cables 22. The. spaces above and be ow the walls of the passage 9 are desi ed for the reception of the parachutes, win nested, so that when air passes through the passage 9 and the closures 13 and 16 open, the parachutes will be removed so. that they may assume supportin positions u on an unauthorized descent o the aerop ane. The lower parachute is connected by a cable or rope 23, which in turn passes through the flanged opening 11 and is normally wound about a drumor reel 24, which is located in the cock pit of the body of the aeroplane. One end of the vreel or drum has a brake wheel 25 with which a brake band 26 co-operates, in order to retard the movement of the drum, when the rope or the cable or the like is unreeled. One end of the brake band is preferably fixed, while the other end is attached to a suitable screw or other adjusting device 27, whereby the brake band may' be tlghtened or loosened with respect to the brake wheel, for the purpose of governin the unreeling action of the rope. The c osures have suitable catches 28, which normally hold them in closed position. These catches are of such construction as to permit the passage of -air to overcome their-retaining action, so as to enable the closures to easily open in case of accident.

Should it be noted by the operator that the aeroplane is about to fall, either lmaking a nose dive or a tail spin, the rope 2O may be actuated by imparting a pull thereon. This pulling action will overcome the catches, and cause the rod 12 to rock and the closure 13 to open, the rod 19 will in turn open the closure 16, the air will rush throu h the passage 9 and force the nested parac utes from the spaces above and below the passage 9 and cause them to automatically open. The parachutes will assume positions, such as shown in Fig. 1, and'act tc support the aeroplane in its descent. In case the aeroplane makes a nose dive, the container 5 will remain in the position shown in Fig. 2, that is, engaging with the upper face of the top plane. However, in case of a tail spin, the container 5 will reverse its position, tilting upon the pivot 6, so as to permit the parachutes to automatically discharge and open.

In summarizing and by referring particularly to Fig. 4 it will be seen that three parachutes are nested in the space about the tapered air passage 9. One of the parachutes and preferably the smallest parachute is extended over the outlet of the tapered air passage 9 so that'when the air passage is opened the rush of air through the same will cause the parachute at the outlet end of the air passage to be moved outwardly and opened. The movement of this first parachute to open in operative position will cause the other parachutes connected thereto to be immediately moved to open position as illustrated in Fig. 1. The container may now swing on its pivot so that it occupies a substantially vertical position. I

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is:

1. A safety appliance for flying machines comprising a parachute, a container receiving the parachute and having a gradually restricted air conduit extending longitudinally-thereof and openingout through opposite ends of the container, the parachute being extended around and over the outlet end of the air conduit whereby the rush of air through the passage will open the parachute, a closure for the inlet end of the air passage, and means pivotally supporting the sage extending longitudinally thereof and opening out through opposite ends of the container, one parachute being extended over the outlet end of the air passage whereby the rush of air through the passage will open the parachute extended over the air passage, closures for opposite ends ofthe container, means connecting the closures for simultaneous movement and operating means for the closures.

. 3. A. safety ap liance for flying machines comprising a p urality of parachutes, a container receiving the parachutes and having an internally gradually restricted air passage extending longitudinally thereof and opening out through opposite ends of the container, one parachute being extended over the outlet end of the air passage whereby the rush of air through the passage will open the parachute extended over the air 1,521,118 l en passage, closures for simultaneous movenected to one closure for opening the same ment, operating means for the closures and and thereby simultaneously openingv the pivot means connected to end portion of otherclosure through the medium of the 15Vr said container. operative connections between the two c10- 5 4. A safety appliance for aeroplanes comsures, one of said parachutes being extended prising a container providedwith a central over the outlet end of said tapering outlet tapering air passage and having space for passage.` the reception for a plurality of connected In testimony whereof we ax our signa- 20 parachutes, a closure for the intake end of tures.

10 the passage, a closure for the'outlet end of the passage, operative connections between FRANCIS L. MORGAN. the two closures, and means operatively con- ARTHUR CLAIRE DEWEY. 

